Brush for road-sweeping machines



June 18, 1929. w, JEMMISON 1,718,151

BRUSH FOR RO AD SWEEPING MACHINES Filed Aug. 16, 1927 Patented June 18,1929.

u rEo STATES 1,718,151 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM JEMMISON, OF HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO KARRIEBMOTORS, LIMITED, OF l-IUDIDERSFIELD, ENGLAND.

BRUSH FOR ROAD-SWEEPING MACHINES.

Application filed August 16, 1927, Serial No. 213,429, and in GreatBritain September 20; 1926.

The invention relates to brushes for road sweeping machines, and has forits object to provide an improved articulated brush which can be causedto assume a stable arcuate form, whereby the rear or trailing end of thebrush, if the brush is disposed diagonally, will throw the sweepingsinwardly at an angle to the line of travel of the vehicle andv thusavoid the deposit on the road surface of a trail of refuse. Furtherobjects of the invention are to construct an articulated brush which canbe raised from the road surface without sagging, and in which no unduegaps are left or formed between the bristles of the Various brushsections.

A brush according to the invention is characterized in that it is builtup from a series of juxtaposed sections, the opposed surfaces of whichform in effect ball-and-socket oints, and which are flexibly connectedtogether in such a manner that the opposed surfaces of adjacent sectionsare held together by spring action to form a stable structure capable offunctioning when bent into arcuate formand of retaining alignment whenraised vertically by means of end supports.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 illustrates, in section, a brushembodying the invention in a constructional form in which separatesprings are employed for the several segments, whilst Fig. 2 isa similarview of the stock portion of a construction in which a single springserves for all the sections, and serves also as a driving medium for thesections.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, a series of cylindrical wooden blocks a areemployed, each having at one end a spherical concavity Z) and having, orbeing shaped to form, at the other end a convex surface 0 of similarradius to the concavities b. A board (Z of rectangular section extendsaxially through each block and is enlarged at the convex end of theblock to form a recess e.

Extending through the bore of each block is a short spindle f of similarsection to the bore and having at each end a two-armed collar 9. Betweenthe base of the recess 0 and the boss of the collar at that end of aspindle, a spiral spring h is confined. The blocks are built up, asshown, with the convexity of one fitting into the concavity of the next,the two-armed collar 9 projecting from the concave end of one blockextending into the recess in the convex end of the adjacent block andbeing secured to the two-armed collarin said recess by a cruciformmember 2' of suitable flexible material. As will be understood, adjacentcollars have their arms extending at right angles to one another.

- The spindle f of one end block a is connected to, or constitutes adriving shaft, and is supported ina bearing, not shown, arranged at asuitable angle to the line of travel of the machine. The outer face ofthe block a .is made plane, and has bearing against it a collar or nut jadapted to be secured in adjusted position on the spindle, as by meansof aset screw or by arranging for it to work on athreaded part of thespindle. At the opposite end of the stock constituted by the builtupsections, the spindle f of the end block a passes through a bush iscarried by a suitable supporting member m,'-and outside this memberthere is passed on to the spindle a cap block 71. which is secured inposition by a nut f on the screwed end of the spindle. This cap blockisprovided with bristlesthe outer end portions 0 of which are set atsuch an angle that they project, as shown, beyond the end of the blockand thus enable them to penetrate into the angle of a gutter.

The brush having been assembled in the manner indicated, the collar ornut j is caused to exert pressure against the block a, thus compressingeach of the springs 71, and forcing the co-operating convex and concavesurfaces of adjacent sections into close contact.

The support at for the outer end of the brush is of such length thatwhen secured in position the brush is bent into an arc of appropriateradius with, in the case of a diagonally set brush, the chord joiningthe ends of the brush forming a suitable angle to the line of travel.

As the brush is rotated, the ball-and-socket jointing of the sectionspermits one section to roll, as it were, upon or against another andgives an even rotation from end to end with out any jerking action.

By reason of the spring action between the various segments, raising ofthe end supports of the brush enables it to be lifted bodily whilstretaining a horizontal alignment, thus permitting it to be raised clearof the road surface without sagging.

The construction also enables the bristles p" at the ends of each blockor section to be so set as to present practically a solid sweepingsurface from end to end, without objectionable gaps between sections.

In the ar 'a-ngement shown at Fig. 2, instead of a separate spring beingemployed for each section as in Fig. 1, a single coiled spring '1' ismade to serve for all the sections, and this spring is also utilized totransmit the drive.

In this instance the spring 9" passes loosely through bores in theseveral sections a, and

in the recess 6 of each section there is provided a member s which isthreaded internally to engage with the helix of the spring as a nut. Thespring is connected at one end to a square spindle f passing through abore of similar section in the end block a, and connected to or forminga driving shaft, and at its opposite end it is connected to a squarespindle f passing through the end block a and carrying a cap block a asin Fig. 1. A collar 25 is provided on the spindle to bear against theinner end of the recess 6 in the block a In assembling thisconstruction, the block a is first placed in position, and the blocks aare passed to the spring in succession, each with its nut member s. Theblocks a and a are then placed and secured in position, and the springis rotated by means of the driving shaft in a direction to draw itthrough the nut member 8. Each of these members being thus caused tobear against the inner end of its recess the convex and concave surfacesof the several sections being thus forced into close contact. Thedesired extension of the spring having been effected, the collar or nutj is secured on the spindle f to bear against the outer face of theblock a It will be apparent that as the driving spindle f is rotated thetension of the spring operates to hold the sections in contact, and itsaction as it tends to Work through the nut members 8 causes such memberto bear against the end faces of their recesses and impart rotation tothe several sections. When the Having thus described my invention, whatI claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Anarticulated rotary brush comprising a series of sections having ball andsocket contact with one another, and means for holding said sectionstogether.

2. An articulated rotary brush comprising a series of sections havingball and socket contact with one another, and flexible means extendingthrough said sections to hold them together.

3. An articulated rotary brush comprising a series of sections havinball and socket contact with one another, and means for holding saidsections together including yieldable portions contacting with saidsections.

4. An articulated rotary brush comprising a series of sections havingball and socket contact with one another, and flexible means extendingthrough said sections to hold them together and including yielda-bleportions contacting with said sections.

5. An articulated rotary brush comprising a series of sections havingconcaved and convexed portions fitted together to provide ball andsocket joints between the sections, and flexible and spring meansextending through said sections and contacting therewith to hold saidsections together under spring influence.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. I

JOHN WILLIAM JEMMISON.

